Read Online 15 Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kelley Armstrong
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watching a hole in a hillside. Logan lay stretched on his stomach in the long grass. Kate was perched over it, balanced precariously as she bent to look upside-down into the hole.
I smiled. “It’s adorable. Even if we know why they’re really looking in there. Sussing out a potential meal.”
“Actually, potential predatory competition. It’s a foxhole.”
I noticed the faintest outline of a snout deep in the dark hollow. “Seriously?”
“Yes. They found it when we were hiking upstate. A fox kit was in there. Cowering in terror, I think.”
I laughed. That only made the picture even more ironic. Kitsune are fox spirits. I imagine there were times, growing up surrounded by boisterous werewolves, when Jeremy felt like that fox kit, shrinking back into his hole before he got trampled.
The twins knew Jeremy and their parents were werewolves. Elena and Clay decided to tell them last winter when it became obvious Kate and Logan weren’t going to make it to teen-hood before realizing their family wasn’t quite like the other kids’.
Were they werewolves themselves? It was hard to say. Unlike Jeremy, Clay and Elena were both bitten, not hereditary werewolves. But having two werewolf parents wasn’t exactly normal either, and it was clear the kids had inherited at least some secondary characteristics. Even before they knew, they’d have been watching that foxhole, not quite sure why they found it so fascinating.
“You will do a painting of it, right?” I said as I scooted back.
“I will.”
“Personal or for sale?”
“I’d say personal, but Kate has started asking why I don’t sell any of her and Logan. I think she’s starting to feel slighted.”
“I can see that.”
“Then you’ll have to talk to her, because Mom and Dad cannot fathom why she’d ever want her picture hanging in a gallery.” He picked up the sketch. “But this would be a good one. It doesn’t show their faces, which is a must if I sell it.”
“It’ll amuse Elena, I’m sure. An adorable painting of her innocent little naturalists.”
He smiled. “Yes, she’ll like that. Perhaps I’ll use it for shows, put an exorbitant price on it, so it will never sell.”
“Oh, it will, and Kate will be thrilled that she’s worth so much.”
“She will.” He put the sketchbook on the table. “Now, if we’re done talking about the children…”
“You’re exhausted and want to sleep.”
His hand snaked over my waist, pulling me closer. “Not exactly.”
“Good.”
I slid into his arms.
Ten
I slept until almost noon. Considering I’d be up all night shooting the show, that was perfectly reasonable, but I’m not an early riser at the best of times. This just gave me a good excuse.
Jeremy was reading when I woke. He’d been an early riser even before there were little ones in his house. Today he’d already gotten up, quietly dressed, slipped out and grabbed breakfast before settling in to read.
I placed a quick call before my shower.
“Cortez Winterbourne Investigations,” a voice sang. “When dead loved ones twitch, it’s time for a witch.”
“One of these days, you’re going to do that accidentally. To someone who really shouldn’t know what you guys investigate.”
Savannah made a rude noise. She was the receptionist at the agency where her former guardians—Lucas Cortez and Paige Winterbourne—worked. Savannah is Eve’s twenty-one-year-old daughter. We met a couple of years after her mom died, when I’d helped Lucas and Paige on a case. That’s how I met Eve and got my guardian angel.
“So, what’s up?” she said.
“I had a weird experience that I’d like Paige to cross-reference in the files.”
“Weird? Huh. Let me guess. You’ve managed to go several years now without being kidnapped, and you suspect it’s a sign of the apocalypse.”
“Hey, you’ve tied my record.”
“No, I believe I’m still one kidnapping behind. So what’s so weird?”
I told her.
“Huh. You
I smiled. “It’s adorable. Even if we know why they’re really looking in there. Sussing out a potential meal.”
“Actually, potential predatory competition. It’s a foxhole.”
I noticed the faintest outline of a snout deep in the dark hollow. “Seriously?”
“Yes. They found it when we were hiking upstate. A fox kit was in there. Cowering in terror, I think.”
I laughed. That only made the picture even more ironic. Kitsune are fox spirits. I imagine there were times, growing up surrounded by boisterous werewolves, when Jeremy felt like that fox kit, shrinking back into his hole before he got trampled.
The twins knew Jeremy and their parents were werewolves. Elena and Clay decided to tell them last winter when it became obvious Kate and Logan weren’t going to make it to teen-hood before realizing their family wasn’t quite like the other kids’.
Were they werewolves themselves? It was hard to say. Unlike Jeremy, Clay and Elena were both bitten, not hereditary werewolves. But having two werewolf parents wasn’t exactly normal either, and it was clear the kids had inherited at least some secondary characteristics. Even before they knew, they’d have been watching that foxhole, not quite sure why they found it so fascinating.
“You will do a painting of it, right?” I said as I scooted back.
“I will.”
“Personal or for sale?”
“I’d say personal, but Kate has started asking why I don’t sell any of her and Logan. I think she’s starting to feel slighted.”
“I can see that.”
“Then you’ll have to talk to her, because Mom and Dad cannot fathom why she’d ever want her picture hanging in a gallery.” He picked up the sketch. “But this would be a good one. It doesn’t show their faces, which is a must if I sell it.”
“It’ll amuse Elena, I’m sure. An adorable painting of her innocent little naturalists.”
He smiled. “Yes, she’ll like that. Perhaps I’ll use it for shows, put an exorbitant price on it, so it will never sell.”
“Oh, it will, and Kate will be thrilled that she’s worth so much.”
“She will.” He put the sketchbook on the table. “Now, if we’re done talking about the children…”
“You’re exhausted and want to sleep.”
His hand snaked over my waist, pulling me closer. “Not exactly.”
“Good.”
I slid into his arms.
Ten
I slept until almost noon. Considering I’d be up all night shooting the show, that was perfectly reasonable, but I’m not an early riser at the best of times. This just gave me a good excuse.
Jeremy was reading when I woke. He’d been an early riser even before there were little ones in his house. Today he’d already gotten up, quietly dressed, slipped out and grabbed breakfast before settling in to read.
I placed a quick call before my shower.
“Cortez Winterbourne Investigations,” a voice sang. “When dead loved ones twitch, it’s time for a witch.”
“One of these days, you’re going to do that accidentally. To someone who really shouldn’t know what you guys investigate.”
Savannah made a rude noise. She was the receptionist at the agency where her former guardians—Lucas Cortez and Paige Winterbourne—worked. Savannah is Eve’s twenty-one-year-old daughter. We met a couple of years after her mom died, when I’d helped Lucas and Paige on a case. That’s how I met Eve and got my guardian angel.
“So, what’s up?” she said.
“I had a weird experience that I’d like Paige to cross-reference in the files.”
“Weird? Huh. Let me guess. You’ve managed to go several years now without being kidnapped, and you suspect it’s a sign of the apocalypse.”
“Hey, you’ve tied my record.”
“No, I believe I’m still one kidnapping behind. So what’s so weird?”
I told her.
“Huh. You
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